Ortiz knocked out in second round of comeback fight

NEW YORK – Maybe they should call him Viscuous Victor Ortiz from now on. His career gets thicker and murkier with each loss.

Ortiz, who fought Floyd Mayweather in September 2011, was knocked out late in the second round Thursday night by Luis Collazo. It was Ortiz’s third consecutive loss and dropped the welterweight’s record to 29-5-2.

In a battle of left-handers at Barclays Center, Collazo emerged from an exchange and socked Ortiz with a right hand, directly on the jaw that Joselito Lopez broke in Ortiz’s previous fight, 18 months ago.

Collazo, fighting in his home borough of Brooklyn, delighted the crowd of 8,050 by improving his record to 35-5. But it’s not a good omen for the rest of the career of Ortiz, 26, when he loses to a 32-year-old who has never been nominated for greatness.

At the end, Ortiz stepped up on the turnbuckle and gestured helplessly to an unimpressed crowd. The fans also didn’t like it when Ortiz walked into the ring and immediately confronted Collazo.

The former Vicious Victor had victories over Andre Berto, Nate Campbell and Lamont Peterson before his career began sliding. The victory over Berto came in April 2011 and was Ortiz’s last victory.

“I’m not a big puncher,” Collazo said, “but when you hook with a hooker, it can be dangerous.”

Ortiz seemed unfazed by this latest negative career turn.

“I’m good, I got caught,” Ortiz said. “He got me with a good shot. It happens.”

For a guy who seemed like an imminent champion not that long ago, it can’t happen again.